Financial Policy
Below is a detailed explanation of the various costs and billing options associated with lessons. This includes the following topics (click any topic to jump to that page):
Tuition
Tuition is the ongoing cost of lessons that families pay to the studio for
regularly scheduled classes.
This includes:
1-on-1 Coaching (private lessons)* and
Group Classes (shared lessons)**
Lessons may take place in-person or online.
It's important to understand that tuition is charged as a FLAT MONTHLY RATE, with the option to pay annually at a slight discount.
Regardless of the number of lessons actually attended during a given billing period (monthly or annually), the tuition rate will remain fixed (see also Schedule and Attendance policy).
Current Tuition Rates are as follows:
$149 monthly
$1,490 annually (2 months savings!)
* Pricing above is for students attending weekly 25-30 minute lessons. For advanced students, lessons may be extended to 45 or 60 minutes. Extended lessons are an exception and require prior authorization from teacher, as well as an additional fee.
**Group Classes can vary in lesson length based on the number of students enrolled, but tuition is not affected.
Annual Registration
Supplemental Materials & Technology Fee
Upon initial enrollment, every new student will be charged a Registration Fee of $65.
This fee is recurring and will be re-assessed annually, appearing on each student’s invoice as a Supplemental Materials and Technology Fee (“SMTF”).
The SMTF offsets the cost of various equipment and software that are incorporated into the normal lesson environment, such as the Better Practice app, cloud storage, and studio equipment upgrades.
Registration Fees may also be re-assessed in the rare instance of students who discontinue lessons temporarily, and then return to lessons after a period of time greater than one month.
Example:
If a student decides to go on vacation for the entire summer term (June-August), they can either hold their spot on the studio roster by continuing to pay tuition, or discontinue lessons completely, then restart when they return. Even if a student has been assessed the $65 registration fee in January, they would have to "re-register" when they returned to lessons in Fall, thus incurring an additional Registration Fee.
Billing and Payments
Invoicing
MONTHLY INVOICES will be emailed 7 days in advance, and will include a PDF copy and an online payment link. If you have opted to receive text notifications, you will receive a text reminder to check your account in addition to an email.
Monthly Invoices are always due the final week of each month.
ANNUAL INVOICES will be emailed 2 weeks in advance of the renewal date.
Automatic Payments
A convenient way to avoid worrying about your due date is to set up automatic payments. This may be done any time after enrollment.
Once automatic payments have been set up, payment will be automatically deducted from your card or bank account on file during the last week of each month (usually between the 25th and the 30th).
While I can accept most forms of payment, a valid debit, credit card, or bank account (EFT) is required for automatic payments. Students and families can update or change their card on file any time by accessing the Student/Parent Portal.
Late Fees
Any payment received more than 5 days after the due date, as stated on the invoice, will be automatically assessed a $25 late fee, which will appear on the following month’s invoice.
Family Discounts
When additional family members enroll, students will receive the following discounts applied to their combined tuition cost:
One Additional Family Member
5% Discount
Two or More Additional Family Members
10% Discount
Curriculum Costs
Simply Music Student Home Materials (SHMs)
To participate in the Simply Music Piano program, students are required to create a user profile via the Simply Music Student Store and must maintain continuous and ongoing access to all streaming video, audio, and documents. Most materials are available to purchase in digital-only format and are documents can be downloaded and printed.
Simply Music Student Home Materials (SHMs) are not included in your tuition.
These can range in price from $5 - $45 depending on the level and program. Typically, a purchase is necessary every 3-4 months, depending on each student’s speed of progress or the pace of each class.
Families should expect to spend an average of $100 per year on these materials.
For a more comprehensive description of Simply Music SHMs please visit this page, or you can view the Student Brochure PDF here.
Books, Sheet Music, Apps, Software, Etc.
Occasionally, books, sheet music, apps, or software will be discussed that are not included in the Simply Music curriculum. I always discuss in person what exact materials to purchase, then provide a direct purchase link. The reason for this is related to licensing and copyright. On very rare occasions, I may have items available for purchase directly from me, but this will always be an exception.
Discontinuing Lessons
Students are free to cancel or discontinue lessons at any time, for any reason. However, as an encouragement to honor music lessons as a long-term commitment, I do not refund any fees paid in advance.
If you are considering discontinuing lessons, for any reason, please contact me directly by either calling me on the phone, or discussing your decision with me during a scheduled lesson. This will allow me to offer advice, discuss transitioning to a different instrument or teacher, or even find a solution that you might not have considered.
While losing a student will never be a enjoyable experience for me, I will never shame, judge, or treat anyone harshly for having to quit lessons.